Good Blessings

"The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, 'Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you.'" -Genesis 13.14-17

God makes a promise to Abram which results in a journey of faith. God spoke and Abram responded. Along the way he made some of his own decisions without seeking God, but because of God's faithful promise, God was with him. Now Abram is getting a glimpse of what God has promised him, and we see that the blessings of God are good.

God tells Abram to look around him in every direction, and to take in the view of the land that will be given to him and his descendants. I don't know exactly where Abram is standing, but Israel is not the most mountainous region, and from a high point on a clear day you can see a great distance. The land is good, it has the largest source of fresh water in that part of the world, it has coastal access, fertile valleys, and is the crossroad of the known world, connecting three continents. It is a good land, and God tells him to walk through it and see it's goodness.

Secondly, God tells Abram that his offspring will be like the dust of the earth, so great that they are unable to be numbered. Abram is old and childless, but God promises not only the land, but that the land will be filled by his offspring. Abram will be given a piece of ground, and those to pass it down to. God is giving him a legacy.

Both of these blessings are good, and they are good because they are from God. The promises of Genesis 12 are all about what God will do, and that message continues here. God will give the land, God will make numerous offspring. God gives good blessings.

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!

Peace be with you

God Will

"The Lord had said to Abram, 'Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.'" -Genesis 12.1-3

In Genesis 12 the focus of the story shifts. Up until this point the Bible has focused on humanity as a whole. The Bible starts with creation and then moves to man's ever increasing wickedness. God destroys the world with a flood, giving man a fresh start, but the corrupt and sinful heart of man has not been dealt with and so man once again falls into sin. In Genesis 12 God begins the specific work that will lead to the redemption of the hearts of men. Here God selects one man who will become a nation, and from that nation the Savior will be born.

In Genesis 12 God speaks to Abram, telling him to go from all that is safe and familiar into the unknown. God will show him where to God, and God will do many other great things for him. God will make one man into a great nation, and give him renown. God will bless him, and make him a blessing. God will protect him, blessing and cursing others based on their attitudes and actions towards him. God will make him a blessing to all the nations of the earth. God will do all of those things.

Abram has one job to do, to go. His only responsibility is to trust God and follow His leading. Everything else is up to God. The one making the promises here is God. God will show him the way, make him a great nation with a great name, God will bless him and make him a blessing. God will.

As I think about this passage, the command to go and the promise of God's presence I am reminded of another command to go. "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matt. 28.19-20)

Jesus is commanding His followers to go to an unspecified place and promises to be with them until the end of the age. In Jesus, a descendant of Abraham, all the nations of the earth will be blessed, and the Great Commission of Matthew 28 is the command to fulfill this final promise to Abram in Genesis 12. Jesus commands His followers to go, and as they are going to teach those around them to obey everything that He has commanded, and He promises to be with them always.

God will do everything that He says He will. The only role we have is to step out in faith and follow His leading. We follow and obey, God fulfills His promise. God will.

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!

Peace be with you

God's Will be Done

"The Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. The Lord said, 'Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them. Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.' So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city. Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of the whole earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earth." -Genesis 11.5-9

The flood is over, God has re-issued His command for man to fill the earth, and yet again, man disobeys God. Rather than doing what God has instructed them to do, they gather together in one place and begin building a tower. Rather than spreading out, they gather together. Rather than filling the earth, they stay in one place. Rather than making God known to creation, they seek to make their name great. They have their plans for their own security and advancement, and neglect the will of God.

God see what is happening and knows what has to be done. He confuses their language and scatters them over the whole earth. Man was given the whole world to care for and rule over, make God's name known, and yet they find a place where they can gather together and exalt themselves. It doesn't get much more contrary than this, everything God has commanded they are doing the opposite of. God will not stand for this. God's will must be done.

God comes down, steps in, and confuses the language of the people so they will spread out. He causes their world to fall apart so that they can fulfill the purpose they were meant to fulfill. I believe God still works this way today. God is sovereign, take than in for a moment. He is the creator and king of the Universe. Not a country, not the world, but the Universe. I'm going to get side tracked for a moment (I usually do when I get on this subject because space fascinates me) but we don't know how big the Universe is and the Bible says in Isaiah that God measures it in the span of His hand (Is. 40.12). He holds the Universe that so far we haven't found the edge of, in His hand. That means three things, one the universe is finite, two God is really big, and three, God is in charge.

God has a plan and His plan is perfect. He made the world and everything functioned as it was intended to. There was no sickness, pain, or death, and man disobeyed, had a desire to be God, and messed it up. God sent the flood, destroying evil on the earth, giving man a sort of fresh start, and again, man disobeyed and messed it up. After the initial fall, God set His ultimate plan of redemption in motion, a plan that will be further unfolded in Genesis 12.

Here in Genesis 11, man is once again trying to be sovereign, trying to exalt himself over God. Because God is God, He is the only sovereign and must be exalted, and so He makes man's plans crumble and sets him on the path that obeys God's will. I realize this may sound like God is a tyrannical dictator, as I've been writing this I've found myself deleting and re-wording a lot of things, but I'm now at the point where I can't avoid this issue. God has a plan, and His plan is what is best for us. We do have the choice to obey or not, disobedience brings punishment and consequences. Every time man seeks to be God, to be exalted above God, there is punishment that puts man back in his proper place. Man was cut off from the tree of life, the source of eternal life. Man's language is confused, cut off from fellowship and community. Sometimes your world needs to fall apart so that you can finally get on the path God intended for you to be on, and sometimes even that doesn't work.

God's plan is perfect, and it brings blessing and fulfillment. Apart from His plan are hardship and isolation. Let God's will be done.

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!

Peace be with you

Theology

"These are the families of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies, by their nations; and out of these the nations were separated on the earth after the flood." -Genesis 10.32

The genealogies of the Old Testament have been used to try and piece together a timeline in an attempt to date creation and assign an age to the earth. However, this is impossible to do because these genealogies are not exhaustive lists. They do not contain the names of every person in the line of Noah, in the case of Genesis 10, simply the major players so that God can show how He is at work to bring about His plan of redemption.

I read this quote a few weeks ago in the book Genesis in Space and Time,"It is to theology, as such, a matter of entire indifference how long man has existed on the earth." Theology is the study of God, not of man. Therefore, theology does not care at all how long man has walked the earth or even how long the earth has existed. Theology is only concerned with learning who God is, and that is all. The genealogies of the Bible serve to show how God is working through the very people who need Him, to bring about what they need.

God is the focus. God is the subject. The Bible revovles around who God is. It is a book of theology, and theology is the study of God. Everything contained within its pages is meant to teach us about the divine author. As we look at everything it contains, our intention must be to know God more.

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!

Peace be with you

Covenant Maker

"Then God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying, 'Now behold, I Myself do establish My covenant with you, and with your descendants after you; and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you; of all that comes out of the ark, even every beast of the earth. I establish My covenant with you; and all flesh shall never again be cut off by the water of the flood, neither shall there again be a flood to destroy the earth.' God said, 'This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all successive generations; I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth. It shall come about, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow will be seen in the cloud, and I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and never again shall the water become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the cloud, then I will look upon it, to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.' And God said to Noah, 'This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth.'" -Genesis 9.8-17

After the flood God institutes the practice of covenant making. This is an unbreakable commitment, a promise that cannot be undone. God promises Noah, all of his descendants, and all animals that the world will never again be destroyed by a flood. To accompany the covenant is a sign, with the Noahic covenant the sign is the rainbow. Every time the rainbow appears in the sky, it is a reminder of God's promise. There will be rain, but it will not destroy all life on the earth.

Covenants are serious business. When a covenant was broken, usually death was the punishment. God is establishing this covenant, and He is the one who is capable of breaking it, because the only promise is that He will not flood the earth again. God makes the covenant, and He will not break it.

This is the first covenant the appears in the Bible. Some of them have conditions that man must live by, but all of them have a divine element that is the root of them. God is at work to restore His creation, and He establishes covenants with His people in the process. God, the covenant maker, is faithful to do all that He says. The final covenant is established in Christ, and it is under that promise of hope and redemption that we now live. God has been faithful to every covenant He has established, and He will be faithful to this one.

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!

Values Life

"Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God He made man." -Genesis 9.6

The flood is over, and the ark is empty. Noah has built an altar and made sacrifices to God, and God has promised never to destroy the earth by flood again, no matter how bad things get. He knows that from youth the intentions of the hearts of men are evil, but in spite of that, He still values human life. God puts a value on the life of humanity, and that is life itself. Whoever kills a man must be killed because life is a precious thing. Men bear the image of God, and are to be treated with dignity and respect.

God values life. Every life matters to God, and everyone who takes life will be held accountable to God for that life. I feel that I need to say this, life begins at conception, and the lives of the unborn matter to God because they are alive. The Bible says, "For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139.13-14a). At the moment of conception God begins to form a baby into His image. Life is to end only when God decides it is over. God gives man the breath of life, and until He decides to take it back, life is to be treated with dignity and respect.

The unborn, the young, and the old, all matter to God, because all bear His image. Life matters because it is God given, God sustained, and God valued.

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!

Peace be with you

Restoration

"Now it came about in the six hundred and first year, in the first month, on the first of the month, the water was dried up from the earth. Then Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and behold, the surface of the ground was dried up. In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dry. Then God spoke to Noah, saying, 'Go out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and your sons’ wives with you. Bring out with you every living thing of all flesh that is with you, birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, that they may breed abundantly on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.'" -Genesis 8.13-17

After more than a year on board the ark, the water is gone, land is dry again, and Noah, his family, and the animals, are led out of the ark. God gives the same command here that He gave to Adam and Eve at the beginning of creation, be fruitful and multiply on the earth. God has flooded the earth, washing away the abundant wickedness, and has given His creation a fresh start. They have been given a second chance. God has brought restoration.

God is a god of restoration. His creation had disobeyed Him and lived as far from Him as they could, only one man on earth is said to have been faithful and righteous. God destroys the wicked, washing their evil from the earth, and gives the righteous man a fresh start. The flood narrative shows elements of the original creation, and it points ahead to the final redemption of creation. God made the earth good, and man messed it up. God flooded the earth, destroying wickedness and starting with a righteous, but fallen man. Since that time, man has not improved the situation, wickedness and rebellion to God is abundant. God sent Jesus, who through the cross, provided the "ark" of salvation for all who will believe. The "flood" is coming, at which point evil will be eradicated forever, and God will bring about complete restoration of His creation.

God is a god of restoration. There is nothing that He cannot redeem. With Noah, man saw what the result of wickedness was, but he has not learned. Even greater destruction awaits, but so does an even greater restoration. All who board the "ark" of Christ, will be saved from destruction, and enjoy the perfect restoration of creation where evil will never taint it again. That is what God is going to do.

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!

Peace be with you

Remembers

"But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the cattle that were with him in the ark; and God caused a wind to pass over the earth, and the water subsided." -Genesis 8.1

For forty days it rained, until the highest mountain was fully under water. Then the rain stopped, and all the life left on earth floated on the water, safely in the ark, for six months. God saved their lives, but now they are confined to a wooden box, a little larger than a football field, with three levels. And it's full of animals. There was room, but limited room, and I imagine there was a decent odor. The video I mentioned last week depicted food stores starting to run low. I've seen a live action drama, and in it tempers start to flare as the brothers get on each other's nerves. God didn't save them to let them starve on the ark, or kill each other out of frustration. God remembers Noah and all of the animals, and He begins to make the waters recede so that they can begin to repopulate the earth.

God remembers His faithful and obedient servants. It can be easy to get discouraged. Sure, God saved Noah from a watery grave, but after months on the ark, I'm sure there were times when he thought it would be his coffin. Life happens, we get out of the frying pan only to land in the fire, or so it seems. But God remembers. God saved Noah for a reason and a purpose, and God remembers Him.

When God makes a promise, He doesn't leave it unfulfilled, He can't leave it unfulfilled. When God sets out to do something, He never leaves it incomplete. Paul said in Philippians 1, "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." God is at work in your life, and even though it may seem like He has saved you from the flood so that you could die on the ark, He hasn't. God knows where you are, and He remembers you. God knows what He is doing, and when the time is right, He will cause the flood waters to subside and bring you out of the ark. God remembers.

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!

Peace be with you

Salvation

"Those that entered, male and female of all flesh, entered as God had commanded him; and the Lord closed it behind him." -Genesis 7.16

The ark is built. The animals are inside. Noah and his family have taken their places. The rain is falling, and God closes the door of the ark. God instructed Noah to put the door of the ark on the side. Through this door the animals walked in pairs. It had to big enough for two elephants to walk side by side, and tall enough for two giraffes to walk through. That's a big door. The video I referenced yesterday shows one of Noah's sons commenting on how heavy the door is, and how they'll have to figure out some way to close it. Fortunately, they didn't have to worry about it, because God took care of it. Everything had been done as God instructed, the time came for the flood, and God closed the door leading to salvation.

Up until this point, the door of the ark was open. I believe that if people would have listened to Noah, repented of their wickedness, and turned to faithful obedience to God, they would have been granted access to the ark. They had over a century, but they refused to listen and repent, and then the moment came when it was too late, salvation was no longer possible. God had given time, but time had run out, and when it did, He closed the door of salvation.

Salvation belongs be to God, it is a free gift that He does not have to extend to His disobedient creation. He would be just in refusing, but His mercy and kindness have led to the opportunity of salvation. God offers it freely, but there will come a time when the offer has expired. In the days of Noah, time ran out when God closed the door of the ark. Just as the door of the ark was closed, one day the gates of Heaven will close.

The time of salvation is now. While you have the breath of life in your lungs, there is still time to receive God's gift of salvation, but time is slipping away. Tomorrow is not a guarantee. Each moment that passes is a moment closer to eternity. One way or another, either by death or the return of Christ, time is winding down. When Jesus died and rose again, the ark of salvation was finished. From that moment until now, we are in that "final week" (Genesis 7.4) when those who will find salvation are entering the ark. The rain is coming, and when it does the door of the ark will be closed and it will be too late.

God is the author of salvation, don't wait for the rain to fall before you seek it.

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!

Peace be with you

Acts for the Righteous

"Then the Lord said to Noah, 'Enter the ark, you and all your household, for you alone I have seen to be righteous before Me in this time.'" -Genesis 7.1

In this verse I find something that I have to wonder about. When I was a freshman in college my Old Testament professor made the comment about how God saved Noah's family for his sake. As a kid I used to get these Hannah-Barbara movies from the library about two archaeologists and their nomad friend who get sucked into a whirling pool of sand and find the door of time (that's pretty much the introduction to each movie) and they find themselves in various Bible stories. In one they stumble upon Noah building the ark. In the movie, Noah's sons are shown to be faithful and righteous people who fear God and seek to obey Him. The issue is, this isn't the idea given in the Biblical text.

Genesis 6.8 says that Noah found favor with God, and here in Genesis 7 it says you alone. Noah's sons may not have been righteous people, but because of their father's righteousness, they were spared from the destruction of the flood, and given a chance following the flood to live righteously. God is just, and He must deal with sin in order to be just. But God is merciful, and patient, and He extends mercy on behalf of the righteous. In Deuteronomy God says, "but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments."

God acts for the righteous. He extends mercy on behalf of the righteous. He does not grant salvation on behalf of the righteous, the sinful, unrepentant, children of godly parents will not enter eternal paradise on their parent's faith. But God's blessing of protection, I believe, is extended to those children on behalf of their righteous parents. God saved Noah's sons from the flood, and from one of them came the line that lead to Christ and the salvation of the world.

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!

Peace be with you

Details

"Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with rooms, and shall cover it inside and out with pitch. This is how you shall make it: the length of the ark three hundred cubits, its breadth fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. You shall make a window for the ark, and finish it to a cubit from the top; and set the door of the ark in the side of it; you shall make it with lower, second, and third decks." -Genesis 6.14-16

God is going to send a flood to destroy the wickedness that has so aggressively corrupted His creation. Of all life on earth, only Noah is found to be righteous, and so Noah, along with his family will be saved. God tells Noah to build an ark so that he and his family, along with the animals and plant life may survive the flood. Then God tells Noah exactly how to build the ark.

God is a god of details. He gives Noah the exact dimensions of the ark. He tells him the type of wood to build it out of, and to cover it with pitch. He tells him where to put the window and the door, and how many levels to build. God doesn't leave Noah to figure it out for himself, He tells Him exactly what to do. When it's a matter of life and death, salvation and destruction, God doesn't mess around, leaving it up to us to figure out the specifics. God spells out the details so that there is no doubt about what needs to be done.

God is a god of details. He doesn't leave the question of salvation up in the air, He is very clear on what needs to be done and how to do it. God gave Noah the exact details of how to build the ark and find the salvation that it offers. Centuries later He gives the same details for how eternal salvation is possible, "that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved". Salvation is not a complicated thing. Yes, there was a lot of work involved with Noah's task, but all he had to do was build it, God provided the details. Our task of salvation is much less complicated, because God has already done the building. The details of salvation are simple, confess Jesus as Lord, believe that God raised Him from the dead.

The details matter, and God is very clear on what they are.

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!

Peace be with you

Savior of the Righteous

"But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. These are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God.... 'Behold, I, even I am bringing the flood of water upon the earth, to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is on the earth shall perish. But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall enter the ark — you and your sons and your wife, and your sons’ wives with you.'" -Genesis 6.8-9, 17-18

God's patients has reached its limit. The wickedness of humanity has broken His heart for the final time, and God has had enough. He is sending a flood to destroy the world. However, not everyone is evil, there is Noah, a righteous man who walks with God and finds favor with God. Because of his relationship with God, Noah, and his family will be saved from the destruction that is going to consume the wicked.

God is just, He punishes sin, but He saves the righteous. When we walk with God we have His protection. That does not mean that our lives will be problem free and without risk, but it means that we are safe from ultimate and eternal destruction. God is the savior of the righteous because the righteous walk with God. Wickedness is the result of selfish disobedience, and the result is destruction. Righteousness is the result of humble obedience, and the reward is life.

God who is just will destroy wickedness, but the righteous will be saved.

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!

Peace be with you

Grieves Evil

"Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. The Lord said, 'I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them." -Genesis 6.5-7

God's patience is running out. The wickedness of man is so great that every intention man has is evil. God is grieved that He ever made man. The creation that was made in God's own image has caused Him so much pain and sadness because of the wickedness of their thoughts and actions that He regrets ever making them. The disobedience of Adam and Eve has spread so far that God is done putting up with it, and humanity as well as the rest of creation is going to be wiped off the face of the earth.

God grieves evil. When His image bearers reject Him, choosing to live destructive and self-serving lives, the heart of God is broken. God hates evil, and He grieves when His creation chooses to engage in it, leading to their destruction. When God looks at our wickedness I don't believe He is angered, these verses don't convey that idea at all, and as a loving father, I feel that God is saddened when His children willfully choose to engage in behaviors that pull them farther away from Him. The path of wickedness leads to destruction, and because His most precious creation chooses to engage in these behaviors, God is grieved.

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!

Peace be with you

Patient

"Then the Lord said, 'My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.'" -Genesis 6.3

Humanity is fulfilling the command of God to fill the earth, but the humanity that exists is fallen. Mankind is sinful, and is not acting as God intended them to. God says that He will not strive with man forever. He is not going to tolerate their ever increasing wickedness indefinitely. Man is mortal because of his disobedience in Eden. God is just, so He will deal with wickedness, but He is also merciful, and so He provides the opportunity for repentance. God says that He will not strive with man forever, and has given one hundred and twenty years for man to repent.

Many people take this verse to mean that no one will live past the age of 120, but this isn't the case. Following the flood there are several people who pass this age. Genesis 11 lists eight people, born after the flood, by name and gives their ages, all exceeding the age of 120. Abraham and Issac lived to 175 and 180 respectively. God is not setting a cap on the lifespan, but saying that in one hundred and twenty years, if things have not changed, His patience will have reached its limit.

God is patient, but there is only so much sin and wickedness that He will tolerate before He steps in and enforces justice. His mercy is great, and it is limitless to those who genuinely seek it, but the opportunity for His mercy is not eternal. When creation was cursed, God began His plan of restoration, and every day that passes, that plan gets closer to complete fulfillment. Until time runs out, there is the opportunity for mercy. God knows we are fallen humans, He knows we are flesh. Psalm 103.13-14 says, "Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him. For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust." God knows who we are and what we're made of. He knows that we are fallen and prone to wander. He shows His patience by extending mercy, but let us not abuse His grace.

God is patient, but because He is just, His patience will one day run out. In Genesis 6 the people are given 120 years, right now the average life expectancy in the United States is just under 79 years. When time runs out, God's patients has reached its limit, and His justice must be enforced. If we accept His mercy now, that justice is satisfied in the sacrifice of Jesus, but if not, we will receive the consequences of our sin. God is patient, but He is also just.

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!

Peace be with you

Creator of Man

"This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day when God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. He created them male and female, and He blessed them and named them Man in the day when they were created." -Genesis 5.1-2

Genesis 4 talks about the death of Able, and the lineage of Cain, but at the end, it returns to Adam who is given a third son who is named Seth. It is from this son that the story of redemption continues. It is through his line that Noah will come, and from Noah the rest of humanity descends. We are told a bit about Cain, highlighting God's standards and mercy, but then the story returns to Adam.

Genesis five begins by telling the reader that this is the book of the generations of Adam. Verse 3 says that Adam had a son in his own likeness, but before this is said, the author reminds his audience that man is made in the likeness of God. The genealogy of Adam begins with the statement, "In the day when God created man". The reader is not left to wonder where man came from. He does not have to examine the fossil record, or be fascinated by opposable thumbs to find out his origin. Man was was created by God, formed by Him and given life by Him.

God is the creator man, and man is made in the likeness of God. Man's origin is in God, and as the author of Genesis begins his account of humanity's first ancestors, he declares that man originated in God.

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!

Peace be with you

Mercy

"Cain said to the Lord, 'My punishment is too great to bear! Behold, You have driven me this day from the face of the ground; and from Your face I will be hidden, and I will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.' So the Lord said to him, 'Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold.' And the Lord appointed a sign for Cain, so that no one finding him would slay him." -Genesis 4.13-15

Cain has sinned by committing murder, and in spite of trying to cover it up, he cannot keep the secret from God. God is just, and He passes judgment on Cain, punishing him to be a restless wander, unable to grow anything. He has no home, and the only life he has known is now over. Add to that that God rejected the last offering he presented, and now he has probably cut himself off from his family due to killing his brother. Needless to say, he's a bit overwhelmed, probably scared, and maybe breaking down in panic.

He has earned what he has gotten. His punishment is fitting, he took a life, and the life he has known is over. However, God demonstrates His mercy in dealing with Cain. First off, God allows Cain to live. Second, God promises to protect Cain, further sparing his life. He puts a mark on Cain so that anyone he encounters will see it and know that God will bring vengeance on anyone who kills him.

God did not have to extend mercy to Adam and Eve, but He did. He made them garments of animal skin and merely kicked them out of the Garden. Cain is punished, but not put to death. God looks after Cain, and still desires a relationship with Him. The wandering that he is sentenced to is a chance to fully trust God and grow closer to him. Sadly, this was not the response Cain had. He abused God's mercy, and in that mercy further disobeyed God. And still, God does not kill him, but allows him to live, have a family, and build a city.

God is a god of mercy, even when we take advantage of it. However, there will come a time when, after being abused and rejected for so long, mercy is exhausted. God offers mercy that He is not obligated show, and yet He suspends justice to extend mercy.

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!

Peace be with you

No Secrets

"Cain told Abel his brother. And it came about when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, 'Where is Abel your brother?' And he said, 'I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?' He said, 'What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to Me from the ground. Now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you cultivate the ground, it will no longer yield its strength to you; you will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth.'" -Genesis 4.8-12

Cain and Abel go for a walk and while they are out in the field, something happens that causes Cain to attack and kill his brother. It could have been out of jealousy for God's favor on Abel and rejection of Cain, or it could have been something completely unrelated. Regardless, God warned Cain that sin was crouching and desired to have him, and Cain failed to master it. Abel is dead, and his blood cries out to God from the ground where it has been spilled.

God asks Cain where Abel is, He knew, just as He knew where Adam had hidden in the Garden after his sin, but as a gentle and loving father, not an accusatory judge, God asks Cain, giving him the chance to own his sin. Cain denies knowing anything about it, and then God calls him on it. Then, just as in Eden, God deals with sin and enforces justice.

There are no secrets from God. Adam couldn't hide in the garden, and Cain cannot hide murder. God sees everything that is done, no sin can be hidden from Him. No wrong that we do goes unseen by God. He will call us on it, hold us accountable, and enforce justice. Let us not be so arrogant as to think we can hide from God the sin that commit. Let us own it, repent of it, and allow God to enforce justice and mercy as He sees fit.

God knows, and justice will be served. So let us own it and repent quickly. There are no secrets from God.

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!

Peace be with you

Standard

"In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.Then the Lord said to Cain, 'Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.'" -Genesis 4.3-7

Adam and Eve begin a family, and they have two sons, Cain and Abel. The boys grow, Cain becomes a farmer, Abel becomes a shepherd. In time, they bring an offering to God, Cain brings some of the fruit he has grown, and Abel brings an offering of the first born of his flock. Cain's offering is rejected, and Abel's is accepted by God. I don't know why this happens, and scholars are divided over the reason. In Leviticus grain offerings are shown to be acceptable to God, but for some reason, Cain's is not accepted. The only explanation given in the text is that Cain did not do what was right.

God has standards that must be lived by to be accepted by Him. Because of sin, we cannot live up to His standard of perfection, and so sacrifices were offered to pay the debt of sin, "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6.23a). Jesus came, lived a perfect life, meeting God's standard of perfection, and offered Himself as a final sacrifice to pay for all sin. The standard of acceptance by God is Christ. We do what is right by accepting His forgiveness as Savior, and submitting to Him as Lord. We strive to live as Christ live through the power of the resurrection, and allow God to lead our us and transform us, as He molds us into the image of Christ.

As we strive towards Christlikeness, we find ourselves being made acceptable to God because of Christ. However, if we do not pursue Christ, sin is waiting to to devour us, and apart from Christ it cannot be mastered. The mastery of sin is not found in our strength or effort, but in submission to Christ and striving after the standards of God. James 4.7-8 says, "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded."

The only way to have mastery over sin is in submission to God. He has set the standard of what is right, and we are only able to pursue righteousness in Him. God is the standard.

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!

Peace be with you

Hope

"And the Lord God said, 'The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.' So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life." -Genesis 3.22-24

Man is justly banished from Eden, receiving the consequences of his disobedience, he is driven out of the paradise of Eden, and must work the ground outside in the untamed world. Once man is out, God stations cherubim and a flaming sword to guard the path to the tree of life. Man will now die because of disobedience, but even in banishment and an armed guard, there is hope. God does not destroy the garden, and He does not cut down the tree of life.

Thousands of years later, Jesus would enter Jerusalem from the east. In another garden He would face the same temptation of Adam, and reject it choosing obedience to God. He would be nailed to a cross, becoming the tree of life, and in Him man can live forever. There are no cherubim guarding the cross, no flaming sword stands between man and the empty tomb.

God is a god of hope. He did not destroy the tree of life, just placed a guard before it until the price could be paid to access it again. Physical death is part of life, but in Christ, eternal life in paradise is freely given. We will struggle in this world, it has been damaged by sin, but the God of hope is bringing His creation to restoration. Man has access to the tree of life once again, and while he has the breath of life in his lungs, access will not be denied.

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!

Peace be with you

Justifyer

"The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them." -Genesis 3.21

God is just, He deals with sin from every guilty party. But God is also the justifyer, He does the work of paying for sin. Romans 6.23 says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." God must justly deal with sin, otherwise He is not a holy and righteous God. But because God is holy and righteous, He is the one who pays the price for sin. God does the dirty work that humanity is unable to do.

Adam and the woman, now named Eve, attempt to cover their nakedness by sewing fig leaves together. When a leaf is pulled from the tree it begins to dry out and wither. The coverings that Adam and Eve made for themselves were a feeble, temporary, and ultimately ineffective solution. They were a band-aid on a deep wound that needed stitches. God steps in, and does for them what they cannot do for themselves.

God makes garments of skin, covering Adam and Eve with clothing that will last. I don't know how many of you have taken part in the hunting, field dressing, and skinning of an animal, but let me tell you, it is not the most pleasant process. Adam and Eve did not have the means to kill or skin an animal. They were unable to cover themselves with proper clothing, and so God did it. He did the dirty work. Adam and Eve could not deal with their sin, and so God made the sacrifice, one animal each, to cover the cost of their sin. Throughout the Bible, we'll see how the grace of God grows in the area of payment for sin, culminating in Jesus.

God is just, and as such, He must hold sinners accountable for their sin. Sin is serious, and the only payment that can cover sin, is death. This price is too high for humanity to pay, and so God the just, acts on behalf of man as justifyer. God does what only He is able to do. God steps in, and pays the price for man's sin.

For the last few days I've been listening to a song titled, Before the Throne of God Above (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MUNywhsZPU)

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong, a perfect plea
A great high Priest whose Name is Love
Who ever lives and pleads for me
My name is graven on His hands
My name is written on His heart
I know that while in heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart
No tongue can bid me thence depart

When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end to all my sin
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me
To look on Him and pardon me

Behold Him there the risen Lamb
My perfect spotless righteousness
The great unchangeable I am
The King of glory and of grace
One with Himself I cannot die
My soul is purchased by His blood
My life is hid with Christ on high
With Christ my Savior and my God!
With Christ my Savior and my God!

One with Himself I cannot die
My soul is purchased by His blood
My life is hid with Christ on high
With Christ my Savior and my God!
With Christ my Savior and my God!

God the just, the one who must condemn man for his sin, steps in as justifyer to redeem man from his sin.

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!

Peace be with you

Prepared

"And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." -Genesis 3.15

Sin has entered the world through man's willful disobedience to God, but in spite of this, God is not caught off guard or taken by surprise. He does not fumble over His words, or rush around trying to figure out what to do now that everything comes crashing down. God is prepared, and as He is serving justice, He announces His plan for restoration.

As God is sentencing the serpent, He says that there will be enmity between the snake and the woman, and their offspring. He finishes by saying that the serpent will strike at the heel, but that he will have his head crushed. The enemy will inflict a devastating blow, but it will not be a blow of ultimate defeat, however, the head of the snake will be crushed, defeating it fully and completely.

In opening scene of The Passion of the Christ Jesus is praying in Gethsemane, and Satan shows up bringing discouragement. The clouds cover the moon, and Satan releases a snake which slithers towards Jesus who is on his face. Jesus rises, looks at the devil, and then crushes the head of the snake with his foot. When Jesus sacrificed Himself willingly, paying for sin, and rose from the grave, conquering death and Hell, the head of the enemy was crushed.

God is prepared. The instant everything fell apart, God set His plan in motion to restore everything. He told the enemy that day, "You have brought sin into My world, but you will not destroy My creation. You will have your moment, but I will be victorious." Sin entered the world through a man, and sin was defeated by the Son of Man.

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!

Peace be with you

Just

"And he said, 'Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?' The man said, 'The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.' Then the Lord God said to the woman, 'What is this you have done?' The woman said,'The serpent deceived me, and I ate.'

So the Lord God said to the serpent, 'Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.'

To the woman he said, 'I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.'

To Adam he said, 'Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, "You must not eat from it," cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.'” -Genesis 3.11-19

Something has gone wrong, and God directly deals with it. He asks Adam a direct question, and Adam passes the blame to his wife. God asks her a a direct question, and again, she passes the blame. Now that God is at the bottom of the problem, He begins to deal with it and enforces justice. The serpent is cursed for his deception. He is cursed to drawl on his belly and eat dust, with enmity existing forever between man and snake, with the promise of ultimate defeat.

At first glance this seems like it should be the end of it. The serpent was the one who brought all of this about, it's his fault. Now that he has been punished, that should be the end of it, and that was probably the hope of passing the blame, as it is the hope of us today. But the tactic didn't work then, and it will not work when we each stand before God. God is just, and every act of disobedience will be dealt with. Every sin will be punished.

God dealt with the serpent, but now He turns to Adam and his wife. They knew God's command, His one rule, and they chose to break it. The language earlier in the chapter shows deliberate choice and action. The woman saw that it was good for food and for gaining knowledge, so she took and ate, and then gave some to Adam who was with her, and he ate. They had the choice, and they chose to disobey God, and the blame cannot be passed on.

To the woman, she will still give life, but it will be painful. She will have a desire for her husband, and he will rule her. No longer will their relationship exist as helpers, but as leader and follower. To Adam, for his failure to lead, and failure to fight for his wife, and all of creation, the ground is cursed. No longer is there the freedom to simply reach out to a tree and eat freely, now food comes by the sweat of his brow. His muscles will ache, his back will be sore. The final punishment is death. Disobedience is sin, and Romans 6 says that sin brings death.

God is just, and all who violate His commands will be punished. God cannot overlook sin because it is a violation of His character. Sin was not part of His design. Painful childbirth, dominion of people over each other, cursed ground, and difficult toil were not part of His creation. But God is just, and He must, and will deal with sin, all sin. There were no innocent parties in Genesis 3. The man was guilty, the woman was guilty, and the serpent was guilty, and God the just, dealt with all of them. And just as God dealt justly with their sin, He will deal justly with all sin.

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!

Peace be with you

Direct

"Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, 'Where are you?' He answered, 'I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.' And he said, 'Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?'" -Genesis 3.8-11

God shows up for his walk in the garden with man, but they aren't anywhere in sight. God goes looking for them and calls out, "Where are you?" When God speaks, man answers, creation must answer at the call of the Creator. God knew where they were, they couldn't hide from Him, but as we've seen God does not force man to do anything, but dignifies him with the ability to choose. God calls, and man answers, explaining why he has hidden from Him. At this moment, God goes right to the point. He doesn't ask why, or how, but "Who told you? Have you eaten?"

When God deals with an issue, He does it directly. He doesn't beat around the bush, mumble, or avoid the issue, He goes right to the heart of the matter. He doesn't accuse man, or belittle him, but firmly asks the question that is at the heart of the matter. People like to play games, avoid awkward situations, and pass the blame to save their own skin (as we'll shortly see), but God doesn't work that way, you can't talk your way out of anything with God (again, as we'll soon see). When there is a problem, God gets to the bottom of it immediately, and deals with it directly.

God is not intimidated by anything or anyone. He is not afraid to ask a question, and when He does, He will be answered. When there is an issue, God doesn't put it off, He deals with it, and when God deals with an issue, He is direct and to the point.

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!

Peace be with you

Personal

"Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, 'Where are you?' He answered, 'I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.'" -Genesis 3.7-10

Adam and Eve have disobeyed God by eating the fruit of the forbidden tree. For the first time they feel shame and cover themselves. For the first time they feel fear and hide. These emotions that God never created or intended for humanity to experience now drive human action, causing him to distance himself both from others, and from God. Man realizes his nakedness and covers himself, then he hears God walking in the garden and hides.

I don't believe this is the first time God waked in the garden. I feel like this was a frequent occurrence, God created man to fellowship with and worship Him; to be in relationship with Him. I believe that daily, God would meet with man, and walk among the trees of the garden in the cool of the day. There is a belief system known as Deism, which says God created the universe, He set the world in motion, but then backed off letting it function on its own. This belief system says God exits, but that He is uninvovled with the day to day happenings of earth. But this is not the image that is presented in Genesis, or the rest of the Bible.

God is personal. Look at what has happened up to this point. God spoke and created the world and everything in it, at the end of each day declaring it good. He formed man, intentionally crafting him from the dust of the ground, and then breathed into him the breath of life. God created a helper for man so that he would not be alone, and then He shows up in the cool of the day to walk with man. The Old Testament is full of accounts of God intervening on behalf of His people, and the New Testament begins with four accounts of God becoming man to walk the dusty roads of Israel, and sacrifice Himself on a cross to save humanity. How does that sound like an univovled and distant Creator?

God is personal. He created us for fellowship and intimacy with Him, and our acts of disobedience push Him away. But God is always walking in the cool of the day, calling out to us, inviting us to come and walk with Him.

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!

Peace be with you

Best Option

"The woman said to the serpent, 'From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, "You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die."' The serpent said to the woman, 'You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.' When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, 'Where are you?' He said, 'I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.'" -Genesis 3.2-10

As Genesis 3 progresses, the enemy continues to twist and corrupt what God has made good. The words, and intentions of God are twisted to make God seem like the less desirable option, and that He is withholding something good from His creation. God's character is called into question, Satan makes Him out to seem a liar. The evil one took what God had forbidden, and made it the focus of desire, and when Adam and Eve chose the opposite of God, everything fell apart.

As they ate, their eyes were opened, and they became aware of their nakedness, and the first thing they did was cover themselves. Now there is shame, now there is something to hide. Vulnerability leads to fear, and fear creates the need to cover up and hide. God did not create fear, or shame. In God's original design there was nothing to hide from or cover up. These feelings and responses are the result of God's creation being twisted and corrupted.

God made a paradise, and in that paradise there was one simple rule, don't eat from the tree in the middle of the garden. The option was to enjoy God, and the bountiful creation He had made them, think about that for a second. Every fruit tree in creation is at their disposal, and they choose to stand right next to the only one that has negative consequences. In reality are we really any different? The forbidden draws us to it, because we believe we're missing out on something, but it's forbidden for a reason.

God gave options so that creation could freely choose Him. With Him is life, peace, openness, and shameless enjoyment of the world. Apart from Him is death, shame, deception and secrecy. With God is His presence and company, apart from Him, we must hide out of fear. The way that God has made is the way of life and purpose, apart from Him is the endless pursuit of meaning that leaves emptiness and unquenchable desire. We are given options, and the best option is God.

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!

Peace be with you

Sole Creator

"And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed. Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, 'Indeed, has God said, "You shall not eat from any tree of the garden"?'" -Genesis 2.25-3.1

Everything God makes is good. At the end of each day of creation He looks at what He has made and declares it good. When He finishes all of creation, He looks at it and declares it very good. There is no fault, and no shame in God's design. The man and his wife are both naked, uncovered, and vulnerable, and there is no shame in them. They have nothing to hide from each other, or from God, and they are free to enjoy the goodness of both creation and Creator. God only makes that which is good. Then we get to Genesis 3.

The serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. God made the serpent, and Satan uses it for his own purpose. The devil does not have the power to create, that power is God's alone. All the evil one can do is take what God has made and twist and corrupt it. Satan uses a serpent to tempt humanity; he twists nudity into pornography. Food becomes an object of gluttony, and the world becomes an object for man to posses and abuse. Satan only takes and twists God's creation, he cannot create.

God is the sole creator, the power to bring something from nothing rests with Him alone. Everything He makes is good.

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!

Peace be with you

Relational

"Then the Lord God said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.' Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. The Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man." -Genesis 2.18-22

God makes man from the dust of the ground and breathes into him the breath of life. The man is placed in Eden and is provided with food. He is charged with the care of creation. Man has life, his needs are met, and he has a mission to accomplish, and yet it is incomplete. God says that it is not good for the man to be alone. He has the animals, which means he had a dog, but even the companionship of man's best friend is not suitable. God causes the man to fall into a deep sleep, and while he sleeps God removes part of Him and forms it into something else.

The Hebrew word is tsela and only here is it translated as "rib". A more accurate translation would be "side", God took a side of man, and formed it into a woman. Men and women are different, they are unique, but both bear the image of God. These differences display different attributes of the nature of God, and together, in relationship, man and woman can present the full image of God. God created men and women to be together, bringing their differing strengths and natures together to be able to care for creation and represent God.

In Genesis 1, God said, "Let Us ... in Our", this language shows community and relationship as an essential part of God, and man made in His image is made for relationships. Man was made for us and our. When God made man he was alone, and God saw that it was not good, so He took part of what He had made, and made something else to make it good. God makes woman, and brings her to the man so that they may enjoy relationship and serve together.

God is relational, and He created man for relationships.

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!

Peace be with you

Choices

"The Lord God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed. Out of the ground the Lord God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.... Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. The Lord God commanded the man, saying, 'From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.'" -Genesis 2.8-9, 15-17

God makes man, and then God creates a place for Him. God plants a garden, and out of the ground He causes every fruit bearing tree to grow. I've shared that I garden, or rather try to. One of my ambitions in life is to get a piece of land and plant as much variety as I can. Currently on my little half acre I have apples, plums, gogi berries, raspberries, blue berries, pine berries, strawberries, peaches and pawpaws, not bad, but nothing compared to what I'm longing to be able to do. I hope the plans I have are able to come to fruition, but even if they do, they will pale in comparison to God's garden. Imagine the variety of fruit in God's garden, there were fruits there that don't exist anymore. Imagine the taste of fruit that had never been touched by sin. God made a paradise for man, and He placed man in it with the charge to take care of it.

God gave man an amazing place to live, provided for His every need, and entrusted it to His care. He lays out a path for man to walk, and that plan is perfect. But God is not a tyrannical dictator, He doesn't force man to walk this path, He gives him a choice.

In the garden God puts every fruit bearing plant, and among them are two specific trees, the tree of life, and the tree of the knowledge of good an evil. God gives man the rule of the garden with one simple rule, don't eat from this one tree. Man had the entire garden to live in, he didn't ever have to go near the one forbidden tree, but it had to be there. God made man with the ability to freely choose, so that man could freely choose to love Him. Love that has no other option isn't real love. If there is only one choice, the choice is meaningless. It is only with options that a decision has meaningful significance.

God could have forced man to follow and obey Him. He could have given man no option to choose anything but Him, but that is not the character of God. God forces no one, He gives them a choice, and tells them the result of each decision, and man is free to decide which path to take. God boldly gives man the ability to reject Him, so that choosing Him is genuine, and the blessings of that choice are more fully enjoyable.

God allows man to choose.

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!

Peace be with you

Life Giver

"Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being." -Genesis 2.7

Genesis 2 takes the creation of man to a deeper level. In Genesis 1 we are told that God made man in His image and sets him to care for the rest of creation. Genesis 2 tells how God created man. God did not speak and man came into being, He formed him from the dust of the ground. The Hebrew word is yatsar, and it means to form, fashion or frame. God made man, He gave Him shaped and structure. In other passages, yatsar is translated as "potter", the hands of God worked the dust of the ground into the shape of man, but at this point, man was still a pile of dirt. The life giver had made the body, but had not yet animated it.

God breathed into man the breath of life, and at that instant, man became a living being. His lungs filled with air, his heart began to beat, his brain began to fire messages to his arms and legs. For the first time his muscles flexed and his toes wiggled. When the breath of life entered man, man came alive.

The Jews would not say the name of God, Yahweh, because they believed it was unpronounceable and sacred. There has been teaching that the name of God is the sound of our breathing, that every breath declares the name God, and that we only begin to live when we begin to say the name of God, and when we can no longer say the name of God we die. God is life, His name is life giving. In order for man to live, He must declare the name of God.

Life is only found in God, because only God is the life giver. Only God can take a pile of dust, form it into man, and make it live. Man has made some amazing sculptures out of stone over the centuries, they are the form of man, but not living. Man can form, but not give life. God made man, and then God made man live. God is the life giver.

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!

Peace be with you

Example

"By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made." -Genesis 2.2-3

Creation is complete, and God rests. It is not that God is tired, it is not that He needs a break to recharge. God rests in order to set an example for how He created man to function. God created the world and everything in it in six days, the seventh day was unnecessary for creation, and yet God gives it to man, and Genesis 2.3 says that God blessed and sanctified the seventh day. God sets it apart as holy, for the specific purpose of allowing man to rest and recharge from the work that has been done in the previous six days. The seventh day is a gift from God for our benefit.

Man was made to work, because man is made in the image of God, and God works. Man was made to rest, because man is made in the image of God, and God rested. There is an order to creation that man is made to function by, and God sets the example for how the flow of that order. By God's authority that order is established, and the purpose of each part of creation is carried out. Man is given six days in a week to tend to the earth, caring for God's creation, and a seventh day to tend to himself.

Isaiah 40.28-31 states, "Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary."

God doesn't rest because He needs it, as Isaiah clearly tells us. God rested to set an example for man. The seventh day was blessed so that man could rest, and refresh himself in God. The seventh day is a blessing so that man can draw strength from God in order to complete the work that he is charged to do. The example God sets is to complete the work at hand, and then rest. That is the cycle that God created, and intended man to function by. God sets the example for man to follow.

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!

Peace be with you

Complete

"Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts. By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done," -Genesis 2.1-2a

Everything is done, it is complete. It is finished. This is the only way God works. When God starts something He sees it through to completion. The earth is not half done because God got distracted by something shiny. The universe is not incomplete because God got bored or busy part way through the job. God began this good work, and He was it through to completion. Everything God does, He sees through to completion.

Sin entered and corrupted God's good creation, and God is working now to defeat sin and eradicate it. He began immediately to deal with the issue. As His work progressed, Jesus came to earth, lived a perfect life, died on the cross to pay for sin, and declared "It is finished." As He prayed in Gethsemane He said, "I have glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do." (John 17.4) The book of Revelation tells of the final victory over sin, when the work of restoration will be completed.

Anything God starts, He finishes. That is why Paul said in Philippians 1.6, "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." God's work of restoration includes YOU. God will not leave the work in you incomplete. The good work that He is doing in your life, He will see through to the end.

God is a god of completion. Everything He starts, He finishes, and it is very good.

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!

Peace be with you

Good

"God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day." -Genesis 1.31

Day six is the culmination of creation. Up until this point, at the end of each day, God looked at the work of the day and saw that it was good, but here, at the end of day six, God looks at the whole of creation. He looks at all that He has made, light, the sea and sky, land and plants, birds and fish, sun, moon and stars, animals and people, and declares that the whole of creation is very good. Yes, man is the finishing touch and he bears the image of God, but man is still part of the creation, and here God declares the whole of creation very good because it is complete.

Jesus said in Matthew 7.17-20, "So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits." In Genesis 1, we see that God is good. Everything that comes out of His mouth is good. God is only capable of producing that which is good because He is good, and as Jesus said, a good tree can only bear good fruit.

God is only capable of producing that which is good. In English, the dictionary definition for good is "morally excellent; virtuous; righteous; pious". It is perfection. The word in Hebrew is towb, and it conveys this same meaning. Here the words "it was very" is the Hebrew mehode and means exceedingly. The whole of God's creation is exceedingly perfect. When we say that God is good, we are saying that God is perfect in every way. There is no fault or flaw in Him, and because that is His character, everything that He produces shares the quality of perfection of its Creator.

The concluding words of Genesis 1 tells the reader that God is good.

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!

Peace be with you

Provider

"Then God said, 'Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food'; and it was so." -Genesis 1.29-30

The final act of creation, man, has been set to tend the earth, but God does not leave them to fend for themselves. God looks at man, and tells him that He has provided sustenance for his well being. Every plant and fruit tree that bears seeds is at man's use. God created the fruit for man to enjoy and be strengthened from, so that he could fulfill the purpose God created him for.

God is the provider, and not just for man, but for the animals as well. God cares about all of His creation, and so He provides for their needs as well. God values life, and no life is to be taken for food. The only eating that takes place results in new life beginning. Every apple that is eaten results in the seeds being freed for planting. This cycle reveals God's unending provision.

God will provide for the needs of His creation.

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!

Peace be with you

Representative

"Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.' God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.'" -Genesis 1.26-28

As the initial work of creation wraps, God places His representative on earth. God makes man in His own image, and places him to steward and care for the rest of His creation. "The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it." Psalm 24.1 declares. This world is God's. Every plant, animal, and person belongs to Him. And God has entrusted the world to the care of humans.

God makes man so that man can represent Him as he cares for creation. Man is made in the image of God, male and female, so that together they can show the rest of creation what God is like. He charges man to this end, instructing Him to explore, enjoy, and care for the world He has made. God makes His world, and then makes man to represent Him. Man exists to show creation who God is. Man exists for God.

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!

Peace be with you

Variety

"Then God said, 'Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind'; and it was so. God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good." -Genesis 1.24-25

The sun shines on the trees, as birds soar through the sky, and fish swim in the sea. While the creation to this point is amazing, God is not done yet. The sea and air are full, but the land is not, and so God speaks again, and the animals that fill the earth are created. Everything from elephants to ants is formed. Lions and dinosaurs, zebras and cows (that thought makes me smile, there were cows in the Garden of Eden), dogs and elk, squirrels and orangutans (that's one of my favorite words).

The shear number of animals is amazing. Think of all the types of bears there are. Now think about all the big cats. How many species of dogs are there? There are thousands of mammals, and nearly one million insects in the world,* and these numbers don't include the undiscovered or the extinct species. It's estimated that more than five billion species, 99% of all the species that have ever lived, are now extinct.** Think about that, the amazing variety of life on this earth (including plants, birds, and fish, as well as the animals created on day six), is only 1% of God's original creation.

God is infinitely creative, and that creativity results in wondrous variety. God is not boring, He thought up the platypus and the ostrich. He gave elephants trunks and moose antlers. He made horses run and kangaroos jump. With infinite creativity comes wondrous variety, and each species is unique, made according to its own kind. That is how God made the animals, in wondrous variety.

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!

Peace be with you


*http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0934288.html

**Stearns, Beverly Peterson; Stearns, S. C.; Stearns, Stephen C. (2000). Watching, from the Edge of Extinction. Yale University Press. p. 1921. ISBN 978-0-300-08469-6.

Creative

"Then God said, 'Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens.' God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good. God blessed them, saying, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.' There was evening and there was morning, a fifth day." -Genesis 1.20-23

Creation continues, God continues to speak and the words of His mouth continue to be obeyed. The earth is full of plants, the sky is full of stars, and day five, God fills the sea and the air with fish and birds. Each one is unique, and the creation of the first animals shows God infinite creativity.

I did a quick google search, and there are nearly 10,000 known species of birds in the world, that doesn't include all of the extinct varieties, or the ones deep in the rain forest that no one has discovered. God said "Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures", this goes beyond fish. Whales, shellfish, turtles, krill, sea horses, even the microbes. There are over 17,000 species living in the depths of the oceans where no light reaches, and in a single liter of sea water there are 38,000 different microbes. Estimates greatly vary, but some experts say that the most explored region of the oceans, the coast to 65 feet deep, could contain up to ten million different species.* And all of these originated from a few words from the mouth of God.

During the summer, put out a bird feeder and look at the variety of birds that show up in your own backyard (no the brown fluffy thing with the bushy tail doesn't count). Do a google image search of fish, if that doesn't blow your mind, try searching tropical fish, or sea life. And remember, that the pictures available only show the ones we're aware of.

God is infinitely creative. The life contained in the sky and the oceans of our own planet show that. If you need further convincing, go back one day of creation, and do a google image search of the universe, or two days back and search flowers. Everything on this planet originated from the mouth of God. The gentle sound of water falling over rocks and the booming clap of thunder. The brilliant flash of lighting and the breathtaking colors of a sunset. The scent of a rose and the taste of strawberries. The way gills of a fish work and how birds are able to fly. All of these amazing things came from the words spoken by God who is infinitely creative.

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!

Peace be with you

*https://ocean.si.edu/census-marine-life

Purpose

"Then God said, 'Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth'; and it was so. God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also. God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good. There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day." -Genesis 1.14-19

As creation progresses, God continues to bring order and to show his authority. He has made light, and now He contains it in a source. He makes the sun, the moon, and the stars, and in doing so, He creates the seasons and years with the earths revolution around the sun, days with the earths rotation on it's axis. He makes these lights to illuminate the earth, the sun fully by day, and the moon and starts partially by night, so that darkness will never dominate.

With the fourth day of creation, we see that God makes everything with a purpose. The earth rotates so that days occur. If the earth did not rotate, one side would be a scorching desert, while the other would be a dark frozen wasteland. The moon is created, and we now know that it reflects light from the sun, to give light at night. The stars are there, and by them people can navigate where they are in the world. There is a point to everything in creation, and ultimately that point is to glorify God.

Louie Giglio gave two talks years ago, Indescribable* and How Great is our God**, and in them he talks about the stars, and how they exist to give God glory. In the beginning, God said "Let there be light" and there was light. It came from the mouth of God, and Revelation 21 and 22 tells us that in the new heaven and new earth there will be no sun or moon because the glory of God illuminates the inhabitants of the city. The sun, moon, and stars, serve as a reminder of God. They are not God, and they should not be worshiped, prayed to, or sought for the future, but as God's creation, they reveal and remind us of who God is. The sun gives light, warmth and comfort. At the same time it is powerful and dangerous, too long under it's rays, and your skin will burn. The moon gives light to the darkness by gently reflecting the light of the sun. The stars remain constant and can lead a lost sailor or traveler home. God is warm and comforting, but He is also powerful and dangerous. God is gentle, reaching into the darkness, and God is constant and unchanging.

The Sun, the moon, and the stars, declare the glory of God. That is their purpose.

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!

Peace be with you


*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvNs8IrfKWk

**https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azFFc20_Ub4

Life

"Then God said, 'Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear'; and it was so. God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas; and God saw that it was good. Then God said, 'Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them'; and it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good. There was evening and there was morning, a third day." -Genesis 1.9-13

As the creation progresses, God continues to bring order and show His authority, and the use of His authority continues to bring about greater and more complex things. The second day of creation God separates the waters, making the sky, and at the beginning of day three He commands the waters to be gathered into a place and for dry land to appear. At His command the waters become seas, and for the first time the continents appear on the earth. But that isn't where God stops.

Once there is dry land, God begins to fill it. He commands vegetation, plants and fruit trees to come forth and it happens. Think of the creativity this shows. God simply said vegetation, plants, and fruit trees. He doesn't specify anything, but from the words of His mouth come apples and oranges, raspberries and blue berries, plums and peaches. At a single word, oaks, pines, and maples appear, along with cacti and palm trees. Roses and lilies, tomatoes and green beans, all of them come from the mouth of God.

Over the past few years I've really gotten into gardening, and as I have, I've noticed something about this passage that I hadn't before. God does not simply create the plants, but plants the produce seeds. He creates a way for life to continue and spread. I once heard the question, "How many apples are in an apple seed?" Within a single seed is the potential for a tree, and that one tree has the potential to produce countless apples over decades, maybe centuries. Within each apple are more seeds, each one containing a tree that will produce countless apples. That was God's design, ongoing life.

When God creates life, He does it in a way that allows that life to create more life. Death and barrenness are not part of His design. God is a god of life.

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!

Peace be with you

Authority

"Then God said, 'Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.' God made the expanse, and separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so. God called the expanse heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day." -Genesis 1.6-8

Then God said... and it was so. God speaks, and what He says happens. Without question or hesitation, God's commands are obeyed, even by the water and sky. That is authority. God commands the universe with His voice, and what He says is accomplished by inanimate objects. His words bring everything out of nothing. By His authority chaos is brought to order, light fills the darkness.

The reality of who God is should put us flat on our faces, in reverent humility of His absolute authority, and yet we arrogantly defy Him. Psalm 19.1 says, "The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands." I'm looking through the window at the sky, it's clear and a bright shade of blue at the moment. God spoke and it was made, I can't even command the window to open. Who am I before God? Who are you?

Let us never forget that the absolute and ultimate authority belongs to God. When He speaks, what He says happens exactly as He says it. His will is perfectly accomplished.

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!

Peace be with you

Order

"Then God said, 'Let there be light'; and there was light. God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day." -Genesis 1.3-5

God is moving in the silent darkness, and then He breaks the silence with the words that set everything into motion, "Let there be light". Immediately the darkness is banished as light comes from the mouth of God. For the first time the world is visible. For the first time the world feels warmth. God speaks, and something happens. He looks at what He has made and see that it is good. And then he brings order.

God does not destroy the darkness, because at this point everything is good, functioning as it was supposed to. He separates the light and the darkness, creating day and night. He creates a time to work, and a time to rest. God creates order at the beginning of His creation. God is not chaotic or random. Everything He does is intentional and with purpose. There are no accidents with God. God is a god of order.

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!

Peace be with you

Present

"The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters." -Genesis 1.2

Chaos, that is the picture of Genesis 1.2. The earth has no form, and it is void and empty. It is dark, cold, and silent. There is no land, no light, no birds singing, and no tress from them to sing from. It sounds miserable and honestly, a bit frightening. And yet, we see that God is there, and He is active. In the midst of the chaos, God is present, and He is moving over the surface of the deep.

God is present in the chaos, always. For my undergraduate degree I took a class on Job and Psalms, and the biggest thing I took from the class is that God's silence is not equivalent to His absence. At this point in the creation narrative, God has not yet spoken. He has been silent, allowing the darkness and chaos to rule, but He is not absent, and He is not stagnant. He is there, and He is moving.

It is so easy to feel that God is not present when things are difficult and uncertain. When God does not answer prayer it is so easy to feel that He hasn't noticed or doesn't care. But the Bible shows us here, that even in the darkest moment, before light had ever been created, God was there. The darkness does not chase Him away, the silent void does not incapacitate Him. In the midst of chaos, God is always present.

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!

Peace be with you

The Beginning

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." -Genesis 1.1

I've heard the debate for so long, young earth vs. old earth. Science says this, faith leads this way. It's one of those arguments that seems like a big deal because the truth, or reliability, of the Bible over science seems to hang on nailing down a date for when all of this started. Christians use the Bible to piece together a timeline and come to the young earth mindset, but science says this dinosaur fossil is 65 million years old. I've heard the theories proposed to reconcile the two opposing views, and I even reached out to one of the most brilliant Biblical minds I have the privilege of knowing, asking his thoughts on one particular theory. His response, "I don't think the Bible provides support for any of the theories. It is theological document, not concerned with our scientific questions. Even in Gen 1 the writer utilizes his knowledge of the world in his description of God as the creator of everything visible and invisible to us. I think it gives us a pattern for us to follow. Could we do the same today?"

The Bible doesn't tell us when the beginning was, because it doesn't matter. The time is not important, the Who is. What matters is not how long ago the creation took place, but who made it happen. Whenever the beginning was, God created the heavens and the earth. God is the one who began time, setting the universe into motion. Genesis 1.1 tells us that God is eternal, existing before everything, and bringing everything into existence. It shouldn't shake your faith when science says, "The universe is 13.8 billion years old"* because if that is the truth, it just means that 13.8 billion years ago, God decided to create everything.

It does not matter how old I believe the universe is. What matters is what I believe about it's originator. The Bible tells us that in the beginning, God created. That is what matters. The focus is not on me being able to argue that my timeline is correct for these reasons, but that when everything began, when this amazing creation came into being, God was there making it all happen.

The Bible tells us who the creator is, God. The Bible tells us that God existed before the creation. These are the things that matter. God is eternal, and God is all powerful. The universe exists because God created it.

Genesis 1.1 tells us that God is the eternal creator.

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY

Peace be with you

*http://www.space.com/24054-how-old-is-the-universe.html

The Subject

I've started this post close to half a dozen times this morning. It's been a while since I've written, and to be completely honest I think a lot of my writing to this point has lacked proper focus. When I started this blog it was with the desire to reach the hearts of men, and help them to see and understand who God had created them to be. As I have reflected back over the past few weeks, I feel that focus was incorrect. We are not the point, and our destiny is not the ultimate goal. The Bible is not a moral compass, a field guide to getting through life. It is not science or history. The Bible is a theology book, and the subject is given in the very first sentence.

"In the beginning GOD created the heavens and the earth."

The subject of the Bible is God. The point of life is to come to know Him so that we may glorify Him. His desire is for us to know Him, so much so that He became man in the person of Jesus to show us what He is like, and left us hundreds of pages telling us who He is.

I've lost focus in my life. How many blogs have I written, how many sermons have I preached, how many studies have I led that were focused on getting people to live better lives, striving to do more or be more righteous? How much time have I wasted in pursuit of good things, neglecting the best thing?

Paul said in Philippians 3.7-11, "But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead."

The subject of life is God, and our goal must be to know Him. I want to want to know Him more. I don't want to write, or teach anything that does not help people to know God better. I don't want any focus other than Him.

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY

Peace be with you

The Pursuit of God

"So with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord, and he made a trench around the altar, large enough to hold two measures of seed. Then he arranged the wood and cut the ox in pieces and laid it on the wood.... Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench." 1 Kings 18.32-33, 38

In the preface of The Pursuit of God author A. W. Tozer says, "Current evangelicalism has laid the altar and divided the sacrifice into parts, but now seems satisfied to count the stones and rearrange the pieces with never a care that there is not a sign of fire upon the top of lofty Carmel." The first time I read the book this statement didn't stand out to me, because it isn't underlined, but yesterday, as I sat with a group of men discussing the introduction and preface of the book, this statement hit me.

It is easy to get caught up in the popular trends. I've been thinking about the various books that people have flocked to. Fifteen years ago it was A Purpose Driven Life, then there was the Rob Bell craze, and then Francis Chan. I haven't read Warren's book, and I know that Bell is surrounded with controversy, but I have found Chan to be very God centered and biblically focused. The Church does the same thing, jumping from teaching styles, worship styles, or programs, trying to stay fresh and relevant. The altar has been built, and the sacrifice prepared, but we are so busy constantly rearranging the pieces of the sacrifice that we never take notice that fire has not fallen from heaven.

The question on my mind is this, do we really want God to show up?

Do we really want the power of God to move in our lives? Do we really want Him to be at work? Do we really want to live for Him? I've been convicted about this a lot recently. God's job is not to make my life comfortable, or to solve all of my problems. He does not exist to serve me, I exist to know Him and obey Him. Romans 12.1-2 says, "Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." Our lives are to be laid on the altar before God, presented to Him and not taken back or rearranged.

God must be given control, we must surrender. We can have our opinions about how to follow Him. We can read the books, change the programs, but I wonder how much of it actually serves to distract us from God. How much have we complicated this whole thing with our own ideas and opinions? Tozer quotes Wesley, "Orthodoxy, or right opinion, is at best, a very slender part of religion. Though right tempers cannot subsist without right opinions, yet right opinions may subsist without right tempers. There may be a right opinion of God without either love or one right temper toward Him. Satan is proof of this."

Do we really know God, or have we created Him as we would have Him be? Maybe the reason the fire has not fallen from Heaven is because we aren't calling out to the right God. In 1 Kings 18, 450 prophets cry out to Baal from dawn to dusk, and nothing happens. For hours these men cry out to the god they have created, or adopted from another cultures creation. The altar is built, the sacrifice is arranged, but nothing happens because they do not know who God is. Elijah, who knows the true God, repairs the altar, offers a simple prayer, and immediately the fire falls from heaven. Maybe the question is not, do we want God to show up, but do we really know God?

2 Timothy 2.25-26 states that there are those who believe they follow God, but have really been ensnared by the enemy to do his work. I read a post this week that said "The devil's goal isn't to get you to do bad things but to keep you from Jesus." If Satan can distract us, ensnare us, keep us focused on the altar, we never notice that the fire hasn't consumed it. We make the mistake of thinking the altar, or the sacrifice is the point, when in reality, the fire consumes both of them.

God is the point, God as He is, not as we would make Him. I want my focus to be on the fire, not the offering, because without the fire, the offering is just rotting meat. I want my life to be a pursuit of God. I don't want this to be just another book I read, and then move on to the next thing, I want it to be the focus of my life. I want to be a pursuer of God, as Paul said in Philippians 3.14, "I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

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God, allow me to know You as You are, not as I would have You to be. The point of this is to know You, to experience Your fire falling from Heaven. Let this be the case in my life. Let me not be distracted by rocks of the altar or the sacrifice laid on top of it, but to be fully focused on who You are. May my life be spent in pursuit of You.

Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor